When hiring a nanny or babysitter, you might find that they use terms you aren’t completely familiar with. By reviewing the words below, you should find that you can communicate better with an agency or independent sitter. That way, you can choose an option that matches your babysitting needs.

Childminding – British English draws a distinction between babysitting and childminding. American English, however, does not. Babysitting only requires a few hours of sitting services. During most of that time, the child is expected to be asleep. Childminding, however, can last for several hours or all day. If you need childminding services, then you might need to contact nannies rather than babysitters.

Certification – Certification ensures that babysitters and other childcare professionals know how to attend to medical emergencies. If, for instance, a kid suffers cardiac arrest, nannies or sitters that have been certified should know how to provide CPR. The American Red Cross is the most popular national organization for certifying sitters.

Home care – Home care usually refers to sitting services for elderly or disabled people. This often requires a higher level of medical training and has its own type of certifications available through various associations. In addition to basic medical attention, home care professionals might provide cleaning services for the client’s home.

Nannycam – A hidden video camera parents use to keep an eye on sitters watching their kids. Some of them are disguised as stuffed animals or common household items so that they are not easily spotted.

Many parents that need babysitters do not want to trust a teenager or even a professional nanny without getting a reference from a national agency. Luckily, most areas have national associations and companies that can help parents bind the sitters that they need for their kids.

Parents should note, though, that not all sitting services and independent nannies offer the same types of service. For instance, you can find nannies that have lots of experience caring for babies, but others prefer working with toddlers and older kids. A parent with a baby should therefore make sure that he or she hires a nanny or sitter that can watch the baby properly.

Some parents also want local listings of professional sitters that will do some cleaning and maintenance around the house. House keeping services can certainly help parents save a lot of time. Coming home to a clean home at the end of a long day is a pleasant bonus to having a sitting service care for your children. Not all of them, however, will perform cleaning and cooking duties.

You can learn more about an agency or local listing for your area by performing an internet search, that includes the name of your town and the nanny organization or individual. This will often provide the pages of companies that you can choose from. You can also find consumer forums where vigilant parents discuss their experiences with the sitting services that they have hired to watch their kids. Since many people now use cameras to make sure the company's sitter acts professionally, you can often learn a lot by browsing forums and asking questions.